Chương 12

To achieve victory, one must know themselves, and their enemy. Victory for me wasn't victory for Zo'Talana, this is what I kept in mind. Six months, or near enough now, and for the last few I've been poking him, proding him. I wanted something that he had, and he refused to teach it to me, so I had to come at him sideways. He had after all started it. If Magic was acceptable in our training, then magic would be brought in.

Unfortunately I didn't have any buff spells, or anything that might make him break out his Spellbreaker abilities, but what I could do instead is be very very annoying.

"Stop that." He grumbled, stamping down with his boots. The fact they were armored, and part of his Spellbreaker gear had been a serious win on my side. The crunch of dozens of small ice balls crunching into the dirt made me grin. He'd fallen for that once. Just once. It was going to be a fond memory all my life.

"Make me." I declared, and from behind my shield I tossed a rock directly up into the air. He hissed in outrage, and just like I expected, he jerked his shield to the side, his hand revealed as he made a fist, and tore the spell from the rock. And once again I saw him do it. I still couldn't see it though, couldn't just steal the spell visually.

With his hand off his shield, he lacked some of the dexterity he normally had, so I charged in, he barely managed to get his shield up as I slammed into him, and then I revealed my second trick.

"Boop." I said simply, as I idly jerked my shield arm throwing the second rock just a bit over his shield. Ducking down as I heard him curse harshly, something I'd have to share with Mama later or something to get him in more trouble as the flash bang went off. It wasn't that big of a Flashbang though. I wasn't trying to murder him or something, but with his eyes distracted, I hit the ground, flung my arm out.

His sword swiped above me, trying to push me back, but even as he kicked out, it just flowed over me as I was flat on my stomach on the ground. I had told him after all, that he had a few too many habits. Kicking at me was one of them. So now when he set his foot back down, it slipped right out from under him, as dozens of balls of ice I'd just conjured appeared right where his foot landed.

"Anar'end-" He started cursing as I helped him along, swinging my shield right into the back of his other knee. He tumbled down in a massive thump, and considering there were a ton of little ice balls on the ground, that probably hurt too. But I leapt up landing right on top of him sword coming down, and pressing it against his throat.

"I win." I declared viciously and loudly, so even El'Tela could hear me. He went still under me, and I had a moment to enjoy my victory before he moved, very fast, and his hand clamped down on my wrist, and I was a moment later flung off him.

"Ow." I told him as I hit the ground and the ice balls. Note to self, don't fall if I use that trick, cause those kinda hurt.

"You-""Oh my." El'Tela, called out from the porch and Zo'Talana stalled out as he realized it had all been seen.

"I do believe that counts as a victory." Zo'Talana's face reddened a bit and I could see the vein in his forehead pulse as he rose up, brushing himself off from the dirt of the ground and turning to look at me with his signature look of superiority.

"That was unworthy of you."

"I won." I told him, chirping happily.

"Only through dishonorable means."

"Says the guy that brought magic into it first, besides. In a real fight, I'd be alive, and you'd be dead." I said, and he scowled at me.

"In a real fight, you would have been dead a hundred times over."

"Yeah probably." I admitted, but then I grinned.

"But I won." He glared at me, his outrage fighting against his own sense of honor and he scoffed.

"Since you could only defeat me through dishonor, only half a win-""I fully won."

"Our agreement was if you defeated me with a blade. Which you have not done."

"You brought magic into it first, and I remember my blade against your throat." I once again reminded him our eyes met, he really really didn't want to teach me.

"It is not a magic meant to be shared outside the order… But I will show it to you. Once. If you are unable to do more with that, then that is your own failing."

"Agreed." I said eagerly, as I put my shield and sword to the side and prepared myself. He scoffed.

"The spell structure is complex, far beyond any spell you will have seen. It is the power of the Royal Guards, the Spellbreakers, those that keep even the magisters in check. Do not take it so lightly."

"Oh I won't, but I'll learn it anyway." I argued and his eyes narrowed. He brought his hands together, and shifted, mana flowed, I sensed it, and more than that I followed it with my eyes. He twisted the mana into the correct shape, and then threw it at the ice balls at his feet, the actually visible spell grabbed the spell structure of the ice balls, and like scooped a jellyfish out of water, cradled it and dragged it away, keeping the structure and yet taking control of it. It was beautiful. Elegant.

The sort of magic I'd never seen before, not out here, something so complex it made my mind want to spin. But I didn't need a perfect copy. I just needed headway. I brought my hands together, mimicking the way the mana first started, twisting it this way and thought, the structure wasn't right. I knew that, but I had to move forward, come on, just enough. Just enough. I threw it at the ice cubes and it snapped and crackled causing the ice to basically pop as the spell structure came apart.

"Hmph." I ignored Zo'Talana's assholery and tried again, I'd practiced a lot of spells by now, I could get this! Tighten up the structure, try to keep the mana from interfering, it needed to be gentle, gentle! I prepared it and cast it again, this time the spell didn't fizzle the ice cube, but it just sort of failed, there was no grip.

"Perhaps if you had beaten me properly, I would tell you where you are going wrong, and teach it to you properly." He offered arrogantly.

"Of course, if you wish to learn, and you can't defeat me I could take you on as an apprentice." He drawled. He thought he had me. I tried again, gentle, but firm. It had to be tight enough to grab the foreign spell without disrupting it, like… Like a net, no. Like a hand, I needed to grab the spell, and I had that! Float Object had a similar concept, I integrated what I could, gather the strands, give it control, gentle touch, but firm enough to wrap over a spell to keep it from popping like a soap bubble.

"Well shall we get back to-""Shush." The voice wasn't mine. I was too focused to respond, but El'Tela had apparently joined us, and she shushed Zo'Talana like an errant child. Heh. I bet he was making a funny face, but I was looking at my hands, as I spun mana, arcane power spinning into a metaphorical hand that would grab a foreign spell. It had to be enough! I was straining, my head was sweating, and I was already feeling like I was forgetting what I had seen.

I threw it once more, and this time the spell wrapped around the ice cube. The spell within was fairly sturdy as long as I wasn't tearing my mana into it, arcane wrapped around the object grabbing not the physical but the mana within. Then I yanked, and the spell was peeled free. It was wrong. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

It was like only taking the first half of the spell, I knew because as I pulled and yanked the spell towards me, it just splattered into nothing, the ability to grab it and hold it wasn't something I properly understood. Or hadn't. [Spell Learned: Spell Steal] [Spell Steal 1/10] It was right there, just sitting on my list, and I looked at my hands. I got lucky. If not for Zo'Talana showing me, without basically failing into it…

I'd crafted a mockery of the spell, an inelegant match, that had gotten close enough that it counted. If you took a rock and used it to bash in a nail was it a hammer? No, but also yes.

"An impressive attempt. If you just come to the Silvermoon, your talent can be nurtured, girl!"

"Oh I'm not going to the Capital." I said bluntly, looking up, and flicking my hands, my mana drained, a chunk of it all scooped out, as I formed the stream of spellwork correctly this time, it swirled together, and I knew since I'd literally seen him do it, I could do it all in an instant eventually, and without even any mana showing, just a motion and yank the spell would be yours. So I flung it at Zo'Talana, and he jerked half surprised, as I grabbed a spell that he'd been beating my ass with for a while.

His speed upgrade. Instantly I went kinda still as the spell that rushed over me had the weirdest… Taste? Like every spell I'd ever cast had tasted like a well crafted meal, and yet this one tasted gamey, like wild meat not properly cooked.

"What?"

"What?" I realized that Zo'Talana had matched my confused words as I felt myself moving and shifting faster than I had before.

"It appears she doesn't need the nurturing of the capital after all." El'Tela uttered simply, looking at me with those glowing eyes, the age and power behind them as always a bit intimidating.

"That…How… You."

"She succeeded." El'Tela said, and Zo'Talana I noticed had his jaw dropped. The sheer unexpectedness of it all. But, I was more focused on something else.

"What is with this spell? It's weird." I said, waving my arms around and feeling like I wasn't just faster, but stronger as well! Then I stopped, wait, if I had the spell active on me… I cast Spell Steal again, but this time at myself, stripping that spell from me and instead of just flinging it away. I held it? No, the moment I tried, I felt my control fumble, and the spell popped into nothing…

"Fu-i-a-dge…. Fudge." I cursed. I'd wanted to examine the spell, but it had popped.

"You were trying to learn my spell." He said, realizing instantly what he had just seen.

"Well… I think I can do that? It popped though. I… I need more practice."

"Heh." The noise echoed out and I looked up in surprise as suddenly Zo'Talana who had only had a scowl or irritated look the entire time I had known him bent backwards and bellowed out a laugh into the sky.

"Haahahaahaa!" It was more a roar than a laugh, and it startled me. I watched him along with El'Tela, both of us staring at the madman as he laughed into the sky.

"What's with him?" I asked, but El'Tela didn't respond just watching as finally his laughter stopped, and he brought a hand down wiping across his face, and all the amusement was gone.

"You are a Quel'Dorei, meant to stand amongst our greatest, my blood, and yet not. Because my brother is foolish, and your father a fool. The irony that you could have grown up in the capital, and all would know the rising talent for what it is!" He sounded like he was cursing, he turned to El'Tela, and glared at her, as if she should have the answers.

"You are too focused on the capital."

"She could be a Magistrix, be a Spellbreaker! If her talent is equal to even a tenth of what I think! If it is more, then she could be on the Convocation! The fools that sit their lofty asses in those chairs would tremble at our family name!" He was yelling by the end angry and I actually felt a bit off put by it all. Then he stopped and just stared at El'Tela, for a long while.

"You will do nothing?"

"There is nothing to do."

"You! You of all people could speak! With a word you could bring her father back into the family! The embarrassment he gave is nothing to her value!"

"And yet… I won't. She doesn't wish it. Her father doesn't. They are happy here."

"They… They drag themselves around in the mud bid by farmers, and are happy!" No one said anything for a while as he realized that El'Tela wasn't going to do what he wanted. I kinda just side eyed both of them. I'll admit I hadn't expected this sort of reaction from my tutor. Six months was enough to get a stronger understanding of him. His words about the capital the few he had shared, had all been full of pride. He looked at me, and seemed… Disheartened.

"The capital is your future child, you are powerful, more powerful than you understand, come and lead! It is our way, guide the future of the Quel'Dorei into ever greater heights."

"I can't." I said simply, not because I physically couldn't, but because the idea of that sickened me.

"I'm going to see the world. To explore it all, and find everything." He said nothing for a long while, and just turned and walked into El'Tela's home. We both watched his back for a long while.

"I… Is he going to be okay?"

"Yes. He is disappointed, his view on the world was always rigid, and you have shattered the way he views things. Don't take it personally… He's proud of you."

"I know. He thinks me going with him to the capital would be good for me, but doesn't realize it would be awful. I would hate it."

"Hmm. You say that without every being there yourself. Only the accounts of others. It could be good for you. There are benefits to the capital, schools, magic you can't learn outside of Silvermoon and more." I just shook my head at her words.

"It's not for me." She reached out and surprised me by patting me on the head "Live your life well, Alah'Dorah, if your heart has set you on this path then embrace it. Far too many of us have fallen into doldrum. If the world to you is exciting then that is where you belong."

"Thanks." I said back, a simple word, and there was more I wanted to say, but she just smiled and turned away. I guess that was the end of my training today? —--"So Zo'Talana has gone back to the capital."

"Wha?" I asked blearily, I had just woken up and sat down to eat breakfast and Mama had dropped that on me.

"Why?" Mama looked at Papa who was looking around just as bleary as I was. She realized he wasn't paying attention and then looked back at me.

"Well despite the six months not quite being up, apparently he decided he had trained you enough. Your father handed over the enchanted shield this morning."

"Oh." I blinked looking at Mama for a while just trying to process things until she sent me one of her 'ah my daughter is cute looks.' …

"Oh. I guess that means I don't need to go to the yard today." My brain finally clicked.

"No, it seems not." She agreed, and then I looked down and grabbed my breakfast and started eating slowly. My brain slow to pick up the new situation. I knew it wouldn't last forever, but it had kinda seemed like it? Six months of daily training, of daily battering myself against Zo'Talana, and it was over. Just like that. It slowly dawned on me that everything had changed again. My daily routine was over, and I would have to make a new one…

"He's a jerk." I decided finally, mid way through eating my buttery biscuit.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He should have said something and given a final day or something, just leaving means I'm all off kilter, he ruined my schedule."

"Ah, of course." Mama said, and I looked at her eyes narrowing. What does that mean?

"Ah." Papa said, and then he looked at me seriously.

"He is a jerk. Ruining your schedule is awful."

"RIGHT!?" I shouted pointing at Papa and looking at Mama.

"This is why Papa is my favorite." Mama just sighed, head falling into her palms, but I noticed her shoulders hitching, she was laughing so it was fine. —-- I didn't know what to do. My feet ended up taking me to El'Tela's home, even if I didn't need to come it just felt… The once grassy field had become mostly dirt over the course of the six months. As I approached I saw El'Tela, there, strewing seeds from what I could see, and I realized she was probably trying to regrow her lawn.

I stopped long before entering just staring, and she noticed me, but seemed set to finish her task, but when she was done she wandered over.

"Something you need Alah'Dorah?"

"No… My feet just took me here. I wasn't expecting him to leave… I wanted to." I trailed off. Punch him? Thank him? Tell him he was an adequate teacher?

"He's a stubborn boy. His ego needed soothing." She offered, half amused, and she sent me a look.

"I don't think you'll see him here again. He seemed firm to return to the capital and be done with us."

"Oh."

"Don't take it personally… He did say, if you ever go to Silvermoon to find him. I believe he would be pleased to see you."

"Then I guess this is goodbye. It's the wrong direction." I told her, and she nodded.

"I suppose it will be, but life is long. You might meet him again."

"I hope so… I'll need to thank him, and kick him in the shins for leaving suddenly. He still owes me a week of training." I told her, and she looked amused at my words.

"Was the training worthwhile?"

"Yeah, it really was."

"Then if he taught you well, you will see him again."

"Thank you… For letting us use your yard… Sorry about the grass."

"Oh it's fine. Grass dies, and grass grows." She wandered off, nothing more seemingly needed to be said. I turned and walked away as well, my hand already itching for my sword. Well, I guess I should say for a sword. That, I suppose, would be my next goal. All the skill in the world wouldn't help me if I didn't have a weapon. I looked at my character sheet, at the representation of what I now was, of what I had experienced, and learned. And how much further I still had to grow!

Alah'Dorah High Elf Level 3 [10/300 XP] Strength 17 Agility 18 +1 Stamina 19 +1 Intellect 11 +35 Spirit 12 +6 Skills Known: [Swords Lv 52 35/520] [Master] -[Parry Lv 40 65/400] -[Dual Wielding Lv 2 7/20] -[Mana Enhancement lv 26 65/260] -[Weapon Specialization One handed-Sword Lv 16 52/160] -[Precision Lv 4 25/40 [Shields Lv. 50 432/500] [Master] -[Block Lv 45 365/450] -[Ambidextrous Lv 32 254/320] -[Mana Block Lv 25 105/250] -[Shield Bash Lv 16 2/160 -[Spell Reflect 1/10] [Stealth Lv. 3 16/30] [Bows Lv. 6 50/60] Spells Known: [Holy Light Lv. 6 1/60] [Conjure Refreshment Lv. 8 64/80] [Glyph Creation LV 5 37/50] [Mage Light LV 10 Spell Mastered] [Mastery Benefit +5 Intellect] [Sunwell Compass LV 10 Spell Mastered] +5 Spirit [Timer Lv 10 Spell Mastered] [Mastery Benefit +5 Intellect] [Float Object Lv 10 Spell Mastered] [Mastery Benefit +5 Intellect] [Hair Styling Lv 10 Spell Mastered] [Mastery Benefit +5 Intellect] [Polishing Spell Lv 10 Spell Mastered] [Mastery Benefit +5 Intellect] [Banish Dust Spell Lv 10 Spell Mastered] [Mastery Benefit +5 Intellect] [Lock Spell Lv 6 1/60] [Unlock Spell 5 10/50] [Generate Icecube Lv 10 Spell Mastered] [Mastery Benefit +5 Intellect] [Spell Steal 2/10] Profession Known: [Enchanting Lv. 12 10/120] [Apprentice] [Apprentice Enchanting: Reduce cost of Enchanting] [Tailoring Lv. 9 30/90] [Skinning Lv. 4 3/40] [Fletching Lv. 2/20] My stats hadn't gone up much these last few months, but my skills? I'd become a Master in both sword and shield. The techniques I'd learned had refined my fighting style. Every hit against my shield meant I lashed out with both blade and shield, my sword had become an arrow, slipping into every crevice and crack. It wasn't quite so gamified, but Precision seemed to guide me into where best to strike to do the most damage, which was critical hits in a nut shell. I'd actually gotten a choice when I had hit Refined, the level between Expert and Master for my sword. Weapon Specialization was a choice, and I had made mine. Sword and board! Protection means I live, and everyone else dies. No better choice. Refining my skills, synergizing them, I think I was fairly dangerous with a sword… Of course I would actually need one first. So either selling stuff to try and buy one, or…" Wait… I forgot all about Mel'tenar! Did he get my Blacksmith manual!?" I turned and started running, my legs tearing across the dirt road towards the center of the village.